WEBVTT DETAILS.DETAILS.ABBY: BRIAN, THIS AFTERNOON THEMAYOR ANNOUNCED A NEW INITIATIVEWITH OTHER OFFICIALS.IT WILL ACCELERATE PUBLICREPORTING OF OPIOID DEATHS,COORDINATE POLICE WERE, ANDINCREASE TRANSPARENCY INPRESCRIBING.>> VERMONT PRESCRIBERS AREOVERPRESCRIBING IT.ABBY: THAT IS ONE OF THE MAINREASONS FOR A NEW APPROACH.>> ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE WHO WEREPRESCRIBED OPIATES BECAMEADDICTED.ABBY: THURSDAY THE MAYORANNOUNCED NEW PRINCIPLES ANDPARTNERSHIPS TO MOVE FORWARD INDECREASING THE NUMBER OF DEATHS.>> FOCUS ON DATA, TACTICS,DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES,RELENTLESS FOLLOW-UP, ANDBROUGHT COOPERATION.-- BROAD COLLABORATION.>> WE WILL BE TRANSPARENT WITHDATA TO MAKE SURE WE ARE HAVINGRESULTS.ABBY: THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTCOMMISSIONER SAYS THEY WILL BEUPDATING DEATH DATE A MONTHLYINSTEAD OF ANNUALLY.>> IT MAY HELP EVERYBODY ENGAGEIN RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS, TOHAVE A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OFWHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUNDIN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.ABBY: ANOTHER PARTNERSHIPBETWEEN BURLINGTON AND AREAPOLICE DEPARTMENTS WILL JOINCOMMUNITY STATS TO TACK --ATTACK THE PROBLEM.>> IT IS VERY CLEAR TO THEMEDICAL CENTER YOU CANNOTPRESCRIBED YOUR WAY OUT OF THISPROBLEM, YOU CANNOT EDUCATE YOURWAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM.WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.ABBY: THE MAYOR ANNOUNCED 11PRINCIPLES TO OUTLINE THEIRAPPROACH TO THE COMMUNITY ANDGUY EMPLOYEES WORKING ON THISCHALLENGE.THEY INCLUDE AMNESTY AND GIVINGTHE FULL COMMITTEE DESERVEDHEROIN DEALERS.A TOWN MEETING WILL BE HELD IN

After a 38 percent increase in opioid related deaths last year in the state of Vermont, the city of Burlington is taking steps to fight the crisis.

Mayor Miro Weinberger announced a new partnership Thursday and proposed principles that he hopes will accelerate public reporting of opioid deaths, better coordinate opioid-related police work, and increase prescribing practice transparency.

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"One in four people who are prescribed opiates for long-term pain management become addicted and some turn to heroin as a cheaper alternative," Weinberger said. "In its 2016 guidelines for opioid prescriptions, the CDC recommends they only be used as a last resort for pain management."

One partner is the UVM Medical Center, which he hopes will help the over-prescription problem.

"We're committed to driving down the amount of opiates we're prescribing and we will be transparent with data to show we are having effective results," the chief medical officer for the hospital, Dr. Stephen Leffler, said.

The health department has also committed to working towards a solution. Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen said they will soon be updating death data monthly, instead of annually.

"Supplying this county-level information more often may help everyone engaged in responding to this crisis to have a more complete picture of what's happening on the ground in our local communities," Chen said.

Another partnership is starting between Burlington and area police departments. South Burlington and Winooski will be joining CommunityStat, Burlington's project that uses data to best attack the problem.

"It should just increase the depth of our responsiveness and the depths of our knowledge," Chief Brandon Del Pozo said.

The city will also be partnering with the State's Attorney to collect more accurate data about the amount of untimely deaths that involved opiates.

The mayor also announced 11 principles to outline their approach to the community and guide city employees working on this challenge. The principles are:

Prescription opioids can be as dangerous as heroin – and should be treated as such.

Opioid addiction is a public health crisis with a law enforcement component.

City governments play a unique and vital role in addressing the opioid challenge.

People struggling with opioid addiction need access to treatment without delay.

Police should give amnesty to users seeking help for their addictions and send them to treatment.

Heroin dealers who knowingly destroy communities should receive the full penalties they deserve.

The community needs the medical profession to fully embrace its role as one of the most important partners in solving the opioid crisis.

All institutions engaged in resolving the opioid crisis should embrace data collection, data-sharing, analysis, and transparency.

The pharmaceutical industry has a role in resolving the crisis it helped create.

Treatment for opioid addiction should not end upon arrest.

Naloxone must be available to the people abusing opioids, their friends and family, and their emergency service providers.

Weinberger and del Pozo will host a town hall meeting at City Hall on March 16 at 6 p.m. to present the principles to the public to get feedback before passing them on to the city council for formal approval at the city's principles.